TEHRAN - Iranian athletes claimed two gold medals and one silver on the opening day of the Asian Youth Karate Championships, marking a strong start for the national team in Shaoguan, southern China.
Satayesh Qanaei delivered Iran’s first gold after winning the girls’ under-54kg category. She defeated Kazakhstan’s Ontalab 2-1 in her opening bout, overcame China’s Lin 5-0 in the semifinal, and secured the title with a decisive win over Malaysia’s Ravindran in the final.
Shortly after, teammate Satayesh Afshar added Iran’s second gold in the under-61kg class. Afshar beat Kazakhstan’s Norlan 1-0, Japan’s Hayashi 3-1, and Uzbekistan’s Almashova in the semifinal, before defeating Thailand’s Nisangat 4-2 to clinch victory.
In the boys’ under-63kg division, Arshia Moallemi earned silver after advancing to the final with wins over rivals from Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, and Thailand. He lost the gold medal match to China’s Shi.
Iran also secured four bronze medals through its boys’ and girls’ kata teams. Despite several early exits by other competitors, the team concluded day one with a tally of two golds, one silver, and four bronzes.
The championships feature athletes from 30 countries across Asia.